However, developments are known from the prior art in which an actuator is coupled to the touch-sensitive position detecting apparatus and/or the touch screen. The actuator causes a mechanical vibration or deflection to generate a palpable, i.e., haptically perceptible acknowledgment, or respectively haptically perceptible, acknowledgment.
DE 103 24 580 A1 describes an operating device for controlling systems in a motor vehicle by entries from a user via a touch-sensitive operating field on which two interchangeable surface shapes can be displayed, wherein the first surface shape is structured to be tactilely perceptible so that zones on the operating field can be selected to choose menu items therewith. The surface of the operating field is designed as an elastic film which is connected unreleasably to the operating field in the region of the selectable zones and the edge of the operating field, and moreover lies on the operating field so that the first tactilely perceptible structured surface shape of the operating field can be created with a medium by filling the gap between the film and operating field, and this structured surface shape can transition into the second flat surface shape by draining the medium from the gap between the film and operating field. If the operating field has the second flat surface, written entries on the operating field are possible.
DE 10 2006 012 147 A1 describes an entry device, in particular for a motor vehicle, wherein the input device comprises a housing, a display device arranged in the housing for optically depicting information, a touch-sensitive position detection apparatus arranged over the display device for entering commands by touching the touch surface, and an actuator for moving the touch-sensitive position detection apparatus or the housing in at least one direction, wherein the housing can be moved relative to the display apparatus. Such an apparatus can provide haptic acknowledgment upon a user entry.
Given the number of available vehicle functions in a vehicle and the rising complexity in the provided functions as well as the restricted installation space, operating devices are known in which the operating apparatus responsible for actual user entry detection is designed separate from a central control apparatus. The operating apparatus and the central control apparatus are coupled to each other by information technology and interact to provide the functionality of the operating device. The central control apparatus can be designed so that it provides functions that go beyond providing the user interface for detecting user entries, and assumes central control tasks for vehicle functions. An operating logic of the user interface provided by the operating device is designed in the central control unit. For complex vehicle functions as well, it is accordingly possible to provide a user interface that depends on the respective function status. However, satisfactory haptic acknowledgment is not yet achieved since the central control apparatus frequently manifests a long processing time for the entry parameters detected in the operating apparatus due to the competing provided functionalities.